From Call of Duty Warzone 2 to Rainbow Six Siege to Fortnite, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urges first-person shooters to try to avoid committing war crimes, or rather, committing in-game activities that could considered war crimes. Publishing a bulleted list of Rules of War, the ICRC says that how you play shooters “makes all the difference on the real-life battlefield.” So what do you think? Could you play CoD, Tarkov or PUBG without committing a war crime?
“Every day, people play games set in conflict zones from their sofas,” says the ICRC. “But now armed conflict is more common than ever. And for those affected, this conflict is not a game, it destroys lives and leaves communities devastated. Therefore, we encourage you to play FPS by the real rules of war, to show everyone that even wars have rules, rules that protect humanity on battlefields in real life.
So what do you need to do? The ICRC establishes four basic principles for the ethical conduct of WPS.
First of all, without thirst. Basically, this means that if an enemy is downed, wounded, and unable to respond, you can’t keep shooting at them. Early on, this makes many battle royales very difficult, as you usually have to shoot opponents until they’re wounded, then “finish them off” once they’re down.
Second, you can’t attack non-violent NPCs. Any bot that doesn’t fire at you without provocation is considered a civilian and therefore cannot be harmed. Also, as a third rule, you can’t target civilian buildings. Homes, schools, and hospitals are considered safe areas where you should not do any harm or enter.
If combat is unavoidable in these areas, you must take every precaution to minimize damage. This can be tricky when it comes to Battlefield and its very expressive destruction system.
Finally, your medical supplies should be used for everyone: if you have an unused first aid kit and come across someone who needs help, you need to provide them, friend or foe.
Several streamers have already taken part in the competition, showing games like Call of Duty Warzone, Escape from Tarkov, Rainbow Six Siege, and Fortnite live on Twitch in an attempt to play by the rules of war.
The ICRC is also an official partner of Arma 3 and Fortnite and asks players who try to participate to write a message of support encouraging other developers to participate. You can sign the petition here and learn more about the rules of war and who they must protect.
If you’re looking forward to all that 2023 has to offer but aren’t sure what to buy, check out the best games to come. You can also check out some of the best new games currently available on PC.
Source : PC Gamesn
